'I Wish You Had Never Been Born,' Her Mother Told Her

Sheri Rose Shepherd was crowned Mrs. United States in 1994. That’s quite an achievement for anyone. But for Sheri Rose, it was a long, hard journey.

She didn’t deserve recognition, applause, or self-worth. At least, that’s the message everybody kept driving like a spike through her soul.

Her English teacher once told her, “Sheri Rose, you were born to be a loser. You will never amount to anything in life.”

Her mother mailed her what Sheri Rose thought was a gift. When she opened it, she found her birth certificate inside with a sticky note that read, “I wish you had never been born. No one caused me greater pain than you.”

There was also her high school’s homecoming king, who once asked her if she was going to the beach party after the prom because she looked like a whale who belonged on the beach.

Sheri Rose was humiliated. She had been addicted to drugs and alcohol throughout her teen years. She’d come from a broken home, struggled with her weight, and battled dyslexia. That night, she overdosed.

After her release from the hospital, Sheri Rose tried to take control of her life. She stopped using drugs and alcohol, and she lost weight. She soon realized that she had the power to change her body, but not her soul.

Make-up could cover up her blemishes, but it couldn’t cover up her insecurities. Attention could make her feel popular, but it couldn’t fill her with purpose. Men could make her feel pretty, but they couldn’t ease her inner pain.

Her encounter with God started the night she checked herself into a hotel room, intending to end her life. At one point, she lay on the bed with a bottle of sleeping pills, crying at the top of her lungs, “God, do you exist?”

The Lord met with her that night and sent her on a journey where, for the first time, she began to discover who He created her to be in Christ. God wants to help all of us discover that for ourselves – physically, spiritually and emotionally.

You’ll hear Sheri Rose Shepherd’s story on our radio broadcast called “Overcoming the Heartaches of Life.” We’re airing a recording of an encouraging talk Sheri Rose gave to a group of women a few years back. She’ll help you understand how your reaction to life’s circumstances gives you an opportunity to glorify God. When adversity strikes, you can react in a way that people will say: “She’s a Christian. She’s a daughter of the King.”

Listen on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app. Sheri Rose has also written a book titled, “Life is Not a Dress Rehearsal.” That and other helpful resources can be found in our online store.